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The Summary of NLRB decisions for the week of May 26 - 29, 2020 is now available on the NLRB’s website.  The summary can be accessed by clicking the links below. https://www.nlrb.gov/cases-decisions/weekly-summaries-decisions/summary-of-nlrb-decisions-for-week-of-may-26-29-2020 Questions? Contact Us The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Thursday, June 11, 2020.  China: China Notifies Draft National Food Safety Standard for the Food Nutritional Fortifier Manganese Carbonate - SPS 1156 On May 12, 2020, China notified the National Food Safety Standard for the Food Nutritional Fortifier Manganese Carbonate (Draft for Comments) to the WTO SPS Committee as G/SPS/N/CHN/1156. The comment deadline is July 11, 2020. Comments can be sent to China’s SPS Enquiry Point at sps@customs.gov.cn. This standard is applicable to manganese carbonate, a food nutritional fortifier prepared by chemical synthesis using manganese sulfate and ammonium bicarbonate as raw materials. China has not announced a proposed date of entry into force of the standard. This report contains an unofficial translation of the draft standard. China: China Notifies Draft National Food Safety Standard on Good Manufacturing Practice for Powdered Infant Formula Food On May 12, 2020, China notified the National Food Safety Standard: Good Manufacturing Practice for Powdered Infant Formula (GB23790-xxxx) to the WTO SPS Committee as G/SPS/N/CHN/1159. This Draft Standard will replace the existing National Food Safety Standard: Good Manufacturing Practice for Powdered Infant Formula Food (GB23790- 2010). Comments on the measure may be submitted to China’s SPS Enquiry Point (sps@customs.gov.cn) by July 11, 2020 . There is currently no published date for implementation of the final standard. This report contains an unofficial English translation of the draft standard. China: China Notifies Draft National Food Safety Standard for Quick-Frozen Flour and Rice Products and Quick-Frozen Prepared Foods - SPS 1154 On May 12, 2020, China notified the National Food Safety Standard for Quick-Frozen Flour and Rice Products and Quick-Frozen Prepared Foods (Draft for Comments) to the WTO SPS Committee as G/SPS/N/CHN/1154. The comment deadline is July 11, 2020. Comments can be sent to China’s SPS Enquiry Point at sps@customs.gov.cn. The standard provides technical, sensory, microbial, and other requirements for quick-frozen flour and rice products and quick-frozen prepared foods. This report contains an unofficial translation of the draft standard.  Russia: Draft Amendments to Veterinary Regulations Notified to WTO On May 26, 2020, Russia notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of draft amendments to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) regulation on veterinary control at the border and inside the EAEU via G/SPS/N/RUS/192. The draft measure, initiated by the Russian veterinary watchdog, would introduce a risk-based approach already implemented in Russia, into the EAEU Regulation. The public comment period for the draft will close on July 25, 2020. Interested U.S. parties are encouraged to share their comments and/or concerns with USDA’s enquiry point (us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov). For potential inclusion in the U.S. official position, please send your comments by July 10, 2020. For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.

Washington, D.C. Headquarters FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 12, 2020   EEOC ISSUES FEDERAL SECTOR REPORTProvides Best Practices When Handling Conflict of Interest Cases WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published a report to provide recommended best practices for federal agencies when processing conflict of interest cases. The recommendations set forth in this report underscore the EEOC’s commitment to supporting all federal agencies in their efforts to be model employers. In Fiscal Year 2019, the EEOC conducted a program evaluation to explore the processing of conflict cases within the federal EEO community. To inform suggested practices for agencies, the report drew information from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, interviews with federal agency officials, a voluntary survey of all federal sector EEO Directors, two focus groups comprised of agency officials responsible for complaint processing, and documents received from federal agencies related to conflict case processing. Referencing the importance of the proper handling of conflict of interest cases, EEOC, Office of Federal Operations Director Carlton Hadden advises, “When there is a conflict of interest, or an appearance of a conflict of interest, federal agencies need to take steps to ensure that discrimination complaints are processed in non-biased manner.  The recommendations in this report help agencies identify ways to minimize the impact of conflicts of interest and protect the integrity of the federal EEO complaint process.” Highlighted best practices for agencies include:   Providing a clear definition of a conflict case; Creating written policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); Ensuring confidentiality; Creating detailed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between agencies who agree to mutually process the other’s conflict cases; Delegation of writing a Final Agency Action. Commission federal sector decisions are available on the EEOC's website. The public may also receive federal sector information updates and news items via GovDelivery and Twitter.  A copy of this report is available online at https://www.eeoc.gov/federal-sector/reports.   The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employ­ment discrimination. More information is available at https://www.eeoc.gov/.

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FTC and NYPL: Avoiding Coronavirus scams Scammers are professionals and know how to target us. They also follow the headlines and their scams evolve over time to take advantage of current events, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Get to know the red flags of fraud so you can steer clear of con artists. Tune in to hear from the FTC on a webcast hosted by the New York Public Library, Tuesday, June 16 at Noon, ET. This online program is free and open to the public – and you don’t even have to live in New York to participate.

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